The Red Queen
by narutogoddess
Summary: The HOMRA insignia pulsated every time she was near. She radiated a power like no other. But her tragic past kept her from letting anybody in to help her, until she met Yata Misaki. The moment they met, they felt an unbelievable pull towards one another and he wasn't going to just let her go. YataXOC Rated M for adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm not quite sure how far I'm going to get with this fic considering I'm not all that into K and I don't know it that well. But I'm gonna try because I love Yata and I think he needs more screen time! If I get anything wrong (like where they live, how old they are, the correct way to spell a character's name, etc. Let me know)!**

Chapter 1

The Girl

"I'm going for a ride!" Yata called to Kusanagi.

"Okay, be careful!"

"Yeah yeah…" The door closed with a ding and Yata was off, skating through the streets of Shizume City. It was a quiet day for being a Saturday, not many people out shopping or getting to and from work. It was a good time to space off.

The blue clan had been quiet lately and there hasn't been much for them to do. Their rival clan's inactivity could have also been because HOMRA hasn't been running around causing trouble with their leader, Mikoto away on some 'secret' business.

"Aw Shit…" said Yata coming to realization that he had taken a wrong turn into the wrong side of town. "Now what do I do?" He continued down the broken up road that definitely wasn't safe to be riding a skateboard on, but that was beside the point. It wasn't like he was worried about his safety, because he could handle himself in a fight. It was just one of those days where he didn't feel like getting into it with anybody other than that traitor Fushimi.

He came to a fast stop when his board became caught on a deep crack in the road, almost losing his footing, but catching himself at the last second. He continued on foot, ignoring the rude calls that came from the meth-heads in the shadows of the tall buildings.

He turned down an alleyway, hoping that it'd be a short cut back to the main square, but he quickly realized that it wasn't. He wasn't even half way through, and already he had had three girls come up to ask if he was looking for a good time. The offer was tempting, but he wasn't about to lose his virginity to a prostitute that would probably give him something incurable. Fushimi would never let him live that down.

"Hey cutie," called out a smoking blond with some extremely tight spandex that barley passed for clothes. "I haven't seen you around here before. I'll give you a good deal."

"No thanks Lady…" he continued to walk down the road, still trying to avoid the many girls looking for rent money. He was almost to the end of the alley when something made his Clan marking throb. Yata took a quick surveillance around him, nobody belonging to the Blue Clan. He looked to his left, in the shadows stood a girl, not much younger than him. Her dark brown hair cascaded down to her waist in waves. There were dark circles under her eyes, like she hadn't had a good night's sleep in days. She pulled out a lighter from her pocket and lit the cigarette that was placed between her lips.

His instincts told him to get out of there quick, but the mark on his chest throbbed more and more, the closer he got to her. "Hey," he said, "Are you okay?"

She looked up to meet Yata's eyes, simultaneously blowing out a mouth full of smoke. "Fine." Her intentions were to answer him, then leave, but she took one look at him and froze. "You're from HOMRA…"

"Uh…yeah. How can you tell?"

"Your mark is showing."

He looked down at his chest. Sure enough, his T-shirt had slipped down, revealing the exquisite lines of the tattoo. It throbbed again.

"The names Yata Misaki. What do I call you?"

"Sheena," she answered.

"I…uh…Sheena, come with me back to the base. I think you're supposed to be with us…"

"No thanks." She answered without hesitation.

"How long have you been out here?"

"A few weeks I guess…" she wasn't sure why she was telling him this. She didn't know him, but for some reason she trusted him.

"Come back with me. If only to take a shower and eat. You can sleep there if you want too…If you decide in the morning that you don't wanna be there, you can leave."

"I…I don't know you."

"Just come on!" He took hold of her wrist and pulled her through the alley. Despite her protests, he didn't let go until they were a decent length away from the ghetto.

"Stop pulling me!" she yelled, "Yata, let go of me!"

He stopped pulling, but he didn't let go of her wrist. "Listen," he started, "You'll die out there all alone. Let me and the rest of HOMRA help you out."

"I don't need your help!"

"How old are you?"

"What?" she blinked.

"How old are you?" he repeated.

"Twenty." She said with hesitation.

"Tell me your real age." She contemplated for a minute. "Sheena, it's obvious that you're not legal. I'm not gonna turn you in or anything. I just want to help you."

"Eighteen," she finally answered.

"That's too young for a pretty girl like you to be living alone on the street."

"I can take care of myself."

"When's the last time you had a decent meal? Or showered? Or slept?"

"I…I don't remember."

"So come with me, please? I promise we'll take care of you at HOMRA, we're a family there."

"I don't belong with you guys. I don't have anything abilities like the rest of you."

"None of us did until we joined. That's how it works, our King, Mikoto gives us our powers so we can defend our king. He'll be the one to decide if you can be one of us. Even if you aren't supposed to have abilities or anything, you can still stick with us like Tatara! He doesn't do anything but film us…pretty useless actually..." he adjusted his beanie awkwardly. He knew he was rambling, "Anyways…please come back with me. I'll make sure you're taken care of."

She stayed quiet while she thought. Sure, she hardly knew Yata, and she really didn't know anybody in HOMRA, but she had a feeling, deep inside her that she was supposed to go with him. "Okay," she finally answered.

"Okay?"

"I'll come with you. But if I decide tomorrow that I don't want to be there anymore, you have to let me go. Deal?"

"Deal." He finally let go of her wrist and led the way to the bar. "You'll love it there. Sure, it's full of a bunch of asshole guys, but Anna's cool. You'll like her. And Tatara's pretty chill once you get used to him. Mikoto isn't due back for a few weeks, but when you meet him you'll like him. He's the best out of all the Kings!"

Yata kept on going on and on about everybody that she'll meet at his base of operation, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling that this was a bad idea. She still hasn't completely lost the guys that were after her, and she didn't want to drag one of the color clans into her mess. They could kill her if they really wanted to. But she could just leave if things got bad again, right? But what if she found that she didn't want to go?

**A/N: Feel free to review! **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Welcome to HOMRA

Yata pushed open the door to the bar, and plowed through the crowd of men without stopping to explain to anyone why he had an underfed girl on his arm that looked like she was shooting up heroin.

"Yata!" Kusanagi called after him, "what the hell are you doing!?"

"I'll explain later!" He took Sheena through a door that read "employees only" and led her down a long hallway and up a few flights of stairs. He took out a key from the pocket of his shorts and used it to unlock a door in the middle of another hallway. "It isn't much," he warned, "but it'll work for now."

Together, they entered Yata's room. There was a bed big enough for two, a desk, a couch and a small TV that was placed on a coffee table. The walls were covered with different kinds of skateboards. The closet was big enough to fit all his clothes, but it seemed that the floor did a good enough job of that. Next to the closet there was an open door that led to a full bathroom.

Yata threw his skateboard on the couch and ran over to his closet and dug around for a minute. He pulled out a pair of grey sweats, and an old T-shirt. "Here," he said handing her the clothes, "you can out these on after you shower. I'll wash the one's you're wearing and tomorrow we can take you shopping for new ones…if you want."

"Thank you Yata."

"Yeah, sure. I'll just step out while you shower. There's towels and shampoo in there. I'll see if I can find you a tooth brush." He turned to leave the room but she stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

"Will you stay?" He looked her up and down, waiting for any sort of sign that she was joking. "Please?"

"Uh…Yeah. I'll come back after I find you a tooth brush. I promise."

She nodded and waited for him to leave his room before letting herself into the bathroom to shower.

Sheena stood under the scalding hot water, watching the dirt and grime run off her body and down the drain. She hadn't been away from home long, but it was long enough to give her body a physical change.

She was much skinnier than normal, which was to be expected after not having a full meal in weeks. Her eyes were dull, and lined with dark circles that weren't put there with make-up. She missed her fire engine red hair. She had to dye it brown to stay hidden from the people that were after her. Her hair wasn't even supposed to be this way, it was so caked with dirt that it tangled and began to curl. Hopefully this shower will return it to its natural straight.

She thought of Yata. Who was he? Surly no average stranger would offer their help to a girl that looked like a prostitute on heroin. Yet he took one look at her and begged her to come back with him, and to HOMRA of all places! Her heart began to race. Why was she so drawn to him? He was a kid! An impulsive one at that…yet something told her that she didn't want to leave his side.

She turned off the shower and dried herself off with the towels Yata had in the cupboard. She wiggled herself into the sweats and the shirt that he gave her, they were a little big, but it was what she had for now. After combing her hair with her fingers, she left the steaming room to find Yata lying on the bed tossing a ball to himself.

"Hey," he said. "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone in the bar. Then we can get dinner. Sound good?"

She nodded, then followed him back downstairs.

They entered in the same door they left the bar using, and Sheena took survey of everyone sitting around. There were a few people at the bar, but mostly people were seated on couches, or eating at some of the tables. There were a few guys picking fights with each other, but it wasn't anything too intimidating to a girl that's lived on the streets for the past month.

"Hey!" Yata yelled over the noise. "Everyone, this is Sheena, Sheena this is everyone. The only ones you should bother remembering are Kusanagi, Anna, Tatara, and of course Mikoto, but he isn't here right now."

She nodded and followed Yata to the bar for some food. "Hello Sheena," said Tatara, "It's nice to meet such a beautiful girl like yourself."

"We don't get many girls around here," added Kusanagi glancing at Anna who just nodded.

"Thank you for letting me stay with you," she replied.

"Of course, any friend of Yata's is a friend of ours."

"Shut up Tatara, and get that fucking camera out of my face!"

He closed the camera and retaliated, "one day something great is going to happen and you'll think 'wow, I wish I had gotten that on camera', but you won't have any footage to remember that great moment by because you keep yelling at me every time I film you."

"If it's anything worth remembering, I won't need a movie about it!"

"You never know. Maybe you'll hit you head falling off your skateboard and you'll have amnesia. And nothing but the film on my camera will help you remember."

"Like that'll happen…" he sighed propping his elbow on the table and resting his chin on the back of his hand.

Dinner ended with everyone returning to their rooms, leaving Kusanagi to clean up all by himself.

"Do you want me to read you a bedtime story before bed Anna?" asked Tatara.

"Only Mikoto can read to me…" she replied with a slam of the door in his face.

"Come on," said Yata extending his hand to Sheena. "It's getting late, let's go to bed."

She nodded and followed him back up to his room. Once in, and the door closed behind them he said, "I'll take the couch, you can have the bed."

"But it's your room…I'll take the couch, I'm the one imposing on you."

"No, I refuse to let you take the couch."

"Then sleep in the bed with me…"

"What?" He wasn't sure he had heard her right. Was a girl seriously asking him to share a bed with her?

"It's your bed…its big enough for two people so…lets both sleep in it."

"O-okay. I'll stay on one side then."

She nodded climbing in and pulling the blankets up to her chin. Finally a real bed to sleep in. She closed her eyes and waited for Yata to come out of the bathroom. He turned off the lights and she felt the bed dip beside her. "Goodnight Yata," she whispered.

"Goodnight Sheena."

**A/N: Don't forget to review! ****J**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Getting Closer

Yata awoke the next morning with his arm completely asleep. He tried to move it, but it was stuck. He rolled over to see what it was that was holding his arm hostage. He wasn't expecting to see a beautiful girl passed out on his arm. Once he remembered the events of yesterday, the shock immediately disappeared.

He managed to free his arm, but he couldn't bring himself to leave the warmness of his bed and the company of a girl. Who knew when this would happen for him again? He wasn't exactly a charmer when it came to the ladies.

He continued to watch Sheena sleep beside him, until he was startled by her inching closer and closer to him until she had her arm draped over his waist and her head resting in the crook of his neck. _What do I do? What do I do? _He thought while he kept his eyes on her.

He waited for the nerves to set in, sure his heart rate sped up like crazy, but he didn't feel nervous or uncomfortable. She mumbled something incoherent in her sleep, and his tattoo pulsated. He cringed at the slight pain on his upper chest, but thought nothing of it. If somebody in HOMRA needed him, all they had to do was text him and he'd come to their aid. Well, maybe he wouldn't go right away, he didn't want to wake the beauty next to him.

She attempted to roll over, but was stopped by Yata's body, and woke up at the collision. "Sorry," she mumbled returning to her place next to him.

"Its fine," he replied, watching her intently.

"What is it?" she asked looking up to meet his eyes. "I didn't hit you that hard did I?"

"No. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded, resting her head back in the crook of his neck. He froze as his tattoo throbbed again. Why did it keep doing that?

They were startled by a knock at the door.

"Yeah?" Yata called.

"Misaki!" called Anna from the other side, "I need you!"

He quickly jumped out of bed and threw open his door. "What is it Anna? Is there trouble?"

She stared up at him, then her sight trailed to Sheena. She put a marble up to her eye and looked around his room.

"Anna? Is something wrong?"

"Someone's red is weird…"

"What do you mean 'weird'?"

"I can't explain it…something just…off…" She put the marble back in her pocket and turned toward the staircase that led to the bar.

"Anna!" he called after her.

"It isn't your red," she replied taking a step down, then disappearing behind the wall.

"That was weird…" he mumbled closing the door behind him.

"Is something wrong?" Sheena asked.

"Nah. Anna's just being weird since Mikoto isn't here."

"He's your King?"

"Yeah."

"And she's his little sister?"

"No. None of us are blood related. But he's definitely like an older brother to her, but I guess we all are since she's the only girl."

"She's seriously the only girl in HOMRA!?"

"Yeah," then under his breath he said, "Unless you wanna join…"

"Did you say something?" she asked getting out of bed and beginning to pull off her shirt.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he began to freak. "Wait until I'm out of the room to do that!"

"Huh? Oh…sorry Yata. I'm not really used to the whole "modesty" thing…"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. It isn't important. Are we still going shopping today?"

"Yeah, if you want to. I'll go get your clothes from the laundry room."

Yata and Sheena left the HOMRA base together at noon. Of course it was difficult for him to get her out of there without some kind of rude "Oh yeah Misaki, get some!" comment from one of the other members. _Assholes._

He had his skateboard glued to his side like always, just in case one of those freaks from Scepter 4 showed up and tried to pick a fight with him, but he decided it would be a little ride of him to skate where Sheena had to walk, or run to keep up with him.

"Where are we going first?" she asked.

"Wherever you want. You're the one in need of new clothes. No offense, but hooker clothes aren't gonna get you very far for very long."

"I wasn't a hooker…"

"Could've fooled me."

"Are you sure it's okay for you to be spending a bunch of money on me. We hardly know each other."

"Its fine," he grinned reaching into his pocket and pulling out a gold piece of plastic. "I've got Kusanagi's credit card!"

The two of them shopped all day. He carried her bags for her, showed her where all the best places to eat were, and they never once ran out of something to say.

They were in the middle of eating dinner at a sushi shop when she said, "I had a really good time today Yata."

"Me too," he smiled.

"If it isn't too much to ask, I'd like to stay with you and the rest of HOMRA if that's still okay."

"Ultimately the decision is Mikoto's to make, but I'm sure he'd love to make you one of the Red clan!"

"What do I need to do to join?"

"Shake his hand."

"That's it?"

He nodded, "if the fire doesn't burn you, you're in."

"What if I get burned?"

"You won't."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I just have a feeling. You're supposed to be with us, I just know it."

**A/N: Sorry this one's a little short! Please review! I love hearing from my readers! Kisses!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Unacceptance

It's been a week since Yata found Sheena in the alley. She's grown more comfortable with everyone around and she and Yata kept getting closer and closer.

When they were alone together, they talked and talked for hours. She let him spoon her in their sleep and he let her rest her head on his chest or in the crook of his neck. She had never felt a connection like this towards any of the guys she's been with before. However, the reason for that being her over-protective step father that controlled literally everything she did since the day her mother passed away.

It was getting late and Sheena had gone up to take a shower and get ready for bed. The guys waited until they knew she was out of ear shot to tease their longtime friend.

"Yata's got a girlfriend!" said Fujishima.

"Shut up," he retaliated, "we're not dating!"

"But you do like her, right?" asked Tatara.

"I don't know…"

"Your face his turning red," piped Anna.

"Whatever! No it's not!"

"I'm just shocked you were able to talk to a girl for once," added Kamamoto.

"I can too talk to girls you fat ass!"

"Misaki relax, they're only teasing you," Kusanagi intervened.

"It is a little weird," mumbled Anna.

"What is?" Kusanagi replied setting a drink in front of the girl.

She took the glass in her hands and poked at the straw with her tongue. "Misaki can't talk to girls…why can he talk to her? And why did she trust him so quickly? And why does she sleep in his bed? And why did someone's red get weird as soon as she got here? And why don't we-"

"Okay Anna, we get it!" Yata grabbed the drink out of her hands and put the straw in his own mouth. "It is a little weird, I know…but I just-" he paused to think of the right word to support his claim. "Sheena's just different I guess…"

"Different how?" Tatara pried.

"Geez! I dunno, she's just different!"

Anna took her drink back from Yata, but not without giving him the death stare. "Misaki likes Sheena."

"Oh my god!" He slammed his hands on the bar and rolled his eyes in great frustration.

"She's pretty," said Tatara, "you don't have to feel ashamed for liking her."

"I hardly even know her!"

"If you ask my opinion," said Fujishima, "you should definitely take advantage of the situation. You've got a hot girl in your bed every night, she only talks to you, and she lets you drag her around the city. Bang her."

"She isn't like that!" he tried to defend, but honestly he didn't know if she was like that or not. She didn't seem like the kind of girl to bang and run. She was a little weird when it came to modesty, like she'd get undressed with him still in the room, or press herself against him in the middle of the night. Weird stuff like that. Sheena told him once that she wasn't used to the whole modesty thing, but what did that mean?

"Yata, if I may offer some advice," requested Kusanagi, "wait until you're ready. Sex is a big step, and you've only known Sheena for a week."

"Can we please stop talking about this?" He felt his face begin to heat up again.

"You're embarrassing him," said Anna.

"I've been wondering this for a while now," Kamamoto mentioned, "what made Sheena just come back here with you? You said you found her in an alley lookin' like a crack whore…You're not an idiot, so what made you think it was okay to bring somebody like that back here?"

"It's weird, but I saw her and it felt like something was pulling me towards her."

"Pull?" asked Anna.

"What do you mean by that?" Asked Kusanagi.

"I knew that approaching her wasn't a good option, but she just looked so sick. Her eyes were dark, she was underfed. It looked so hopeless."

"So you felt sorry for her?"

"Well yeah, but that's not all. My tattoo hurt." He placed his hand over the intricate lines of the HOMRA marking that decorated his collar. "It's hard to explain, but I took one look at her, and it throbbed, and the closer I got to her the more it hurt until I finally touched her."

"But your red isn't weird," Anna said, "Someone's red is weird, but it isn't anybody here…"

"Maybe somethings going on with Mikoto?" Kusanagi guessed.

"No. Mikoto's red is normal, I can feel it. My intuition tells me that its Misaki's red, but I don't see anything wrong with it!"

"Well then what the fuck is going on!?" Yata freaked. "Why is may tattoo hurting?"

"Calm down, you're fine…" Kusanagi began to wipe clean the empty glasses that piled high at the end of the bar and handed them over to Tatara to put back on the rack.

"What if I'm not!? What if something's seriously wrong with me? I'm bringing strangers home, my tattoo throbs whenever I'm around Sheena, Anna says my red is weird...what next!?"

"It isn't your red…"

"Anna you just said-"

"It isn't your red."

"Once Mikoto gets back he'll know what to do. But I'm sure nothing is wrong with you Misaki. You're just paranoid because for once an attractive girl doesn't make you nervous."

"You're absolutely no help at all, Kusanagi…"

"Speaking of Sheena…" said Fujishima, "where is she?"

"She said she was gonna take a shower and read a little."

"Oooh, a bookworm!"

"Seriously Fujishima, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm tellin' ya Yata, you're never gonna get a chance like this again. You've got a hot girl in your bed every night, sharing your shower, wearing your clothes, and so far, she hasn't figured out that you're actually the biggest virgin alive. She's probably amazing in bed! She looks a bit slutty. Charm the girl's pants off!"

"Not that he could…" whispered Bando from across the room, "But I'm sure she'd be willing."

"Last time I checked you weren't part of this conversation!" yelled Yata.

"They kind of have a point," Tatara revealed, "I'm not saying that you should just rush into having sex with her, but you obviously like her, and she's always just hanging on you. I think you should make a move on her. Ask her on a date."

"You guys are just spit ballin', I don't even know if she likes me!"

"That's why you ask her out."

"I'm gonna say this in the nicest way possible; shut the fuck up. Sheena's cool, and I don't want me or any of you to scare her away, so just lay off…" he pushed himself off the rotating stool, grabbed his skateboard and headed toward the "Employees Only" door. "Now I have to go save my ass because I'm pretty sure she heard everything you guys just said about her…"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Acceptance

Sheena was supposed to be in Yata's room reading a book, but she needed to take a break or her brain would explode. She wasn't ready to take a shower, so she decided to hang out in the bar with everyone for a while.

She took each step down the stairs carefully, they were quite steep. It was a wonder how such a small girl like Anna got up and down them every day without tripping. _I guess when you use them every day it isn't as hard to trip on them._

She was about to turn the knob on the door that led to the bar, when she heard her name come from the other side. She froze.

The guys weren't used to having to talk quietly to spare someone's feelings. They didn't think that Sheena would be listening. She heard Fujishima say, _"If you ask my opinion, you should definitely take advantage of the situation. You've got a hot girl in your bed every night, she only talks to you, and she lets you drag her around the city. Bang her."_

She thought that was a little funny. She knew very little about the boys of HOMRA, but what she knew about Yata was that he had a hard time talking to girls, and her being there, talking to him every day; his friends probably saw this as a way to get him out of his shell.

She continued to listen to what else they had to say, _"Yata, if I may offer some advice," _requested Kusanagi,_ "Wait until you're ready. Sex is a big step, and you've only known Sheena for a week."_

Her eyes widened. They think that she and Yata were going to have sex?

_ "__I'm tellin' ya Yata, you're never gonna get a chance like this again," _Fujishima continued, _"You've got a hot girl in your bed every night, sharing your shower, wearing your clothes, and so far, she hasn't figured out that you're actually the biggest virgin alive. She's probably amazing in bed! She looks a bit slutty. Charm the girl's pants off!"_

_ "__Not that he could…" _She heard Bando whisper_, "But I'm sure she'd be willing."_

She heard Yata and Tatara retaliate in her defense, but the words still hurt. She released her hold on the door knob and raced to the stairs. The steepness of the first step and her speed mixed and she stumbled a little, making a somewhat loud crashing noise as the thickness of her boots caught her. She quickly regained her footing and continued up the stairs and down the hall until she had reached Yata's bedroom and slammed the door.

She tore off her clothes and threw them across the room, her shirt getting caught on one of the skateboards mounted on the wall. She didn't realize that she was crying until she was staring at herself in the bathroom mirror. She slammed that door and climbed into the shower.

She didn't know why she was sobbing. What they said wasn't even that bad. She had been called a lot worse by people she cared a lot more about. She took a deep breath and wiped the water from her face. There was a knock at the door.

"Sheena, its Yata. Can I come in?"

She stepped back from the water stream and without thinking said, "yeah, come on in."

"I'm not looking, I swear." That made her smile. "I just wanted you to know that I set them straight. I know you heard everything."

_Shit. _"It's not a big deal," she mumbled.

"Yeah it is! They said some really mean things about you, and that isn't okay. I know they hurt your feelings."

"It's okay Yata…I've heard people say worse about me…"

He didn't know how to respond, so he stayed silent.

"Will you come in here?"

"W-what!?" She imagined that he was probably blushing furiously right about now. That also made her smile.

"It's okay," she said, "I don't mind."

"A-are you sure?"

"I'm only taking a shower, it's really nothing to be afraid of."

She could almost hear his brain go into overdrive. She could tell from just the separation of the shower curtain between them that he was trying really hard to sort through what he wanted and what he thought was right. She giggled.

"What are you laughing at?" he snapped out of his hypnosis.

"Nothing. Just get in here."

She listened intently for each article of his clothing to his the floor. He was slow at removing them, however most guys would be ecstatic after the girl they had been fancying had just invited them into the shower with her, but not Yata. He was different. He thought through all the possibilities of his actions and acted only on what she asked of him, still he was unsure if it was the right move.

"O-okay," she said, "I-I'm coming in now…"

"Can't wait," she murmured.

The curtain rustled and his bare feet patted gently on the floor of the tub. Neither of them said a word. She turned to face him and he immediately looked away, red tinting both his cheeks.

"Yata, you can look you know."

His eyes darted back and forth between her eyes and the flood. She grabbed his hand and squeezed. "Thank you for standing up for me."

"S-sure…" his eyes continued to stare at the floor.

She went back to facing the shower head to rinse her hair. The second she turned, she could feel his eyes staring at her backside. She blushed.

Yata knew that if he didn't breathe soon he'd either pass out or all the blood in his head would all pour out of his nose. He took that deep breath, and took hold of his bottom lip with his teeth. Sheena turned back around to face him, this time he didn't look away. His mind was fuzzy. He knew he was looking at a naked girl, but he could form the words. He couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"Yata-"

"Misaki," he corrected, "you can call me Misaki now considering…" He lost the words.

"Considering that we're naked in a shower together?" she helped him finish.

He nodded. "I'm sorry my friends are idiots."

"Stop apologizing." Their eyes finally met and for what seemed like hours, they couldn't stop staring. She was so beautiful and he was completely adorable. Their heart pounded erratically. She would have thought that she'd be used to men seeing her naked by now. But this was different. Misaki actually cared for her. He liked her. And she liked him.

"You can kiss me, Misaki. I know you want to."

He continued to stare at her. She almost took over and made the first more for him. But as soon as she stepped closer to him, his lips her on hers. It was a short kiss, but she didn't mind because as fast as he had pulled away, he was kissing her again.

Their eyes were shut tight, but it stop either of them from reaching out to grab hold of each other. His hands gripped her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself up against him.

Yata's eyes shot open the second his brain had registered that he had breasts pressed up against his chest, but he didn't pull away. He forced himself to focus only on kissing. Their teeth clashed and their tongues fought. They were both startled at their hips crashing together, and the unwanted stimulation forced the two apart.

They were both breathing heavily. She was the first to make the next move. Sheena wrapped her arms around him and placed her head against his chest in a gentle hug. She listened to his heart beat excitedly at his rib cage.

He wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands, but he settled on placing them carefully at her waist and holding her in place. He didn't want her to leave.

"Misaki," she said quietly, "I want to have sex with you."

"W-what?"

"Maybe not now, but when you're ready and stuff…"

"I uh…"_ How do I say this without sounding like a complete loser? _"I've never...had sex before…"

She smiled, "neither have I." Before he could say anything else, she got herself to say what she's been keeping in her entire life. "But I'm not a virgin…"

He took a step back to look at her, "what does that mean?"

"It means that my father…he's not my real father, but he owns a club that sells girls…ever since my mother died, he's been pimping me out, and if I refused to go with someone, he'd rape me. That's why I ran away. I had enough."

He stared at her.

Her thoughts immediately went to: _Oh my god, I shouldn't have told him anything! Now he hates me! Now he thinks I really am a slut._

He kissed her. "Thank you for telling me." He rested his forehead against hers and waited for her to say something.

"They're still after me…"

He blinked and pulled away once again. "I won't let them get you." He pointed to his tattoo, "I swear on my life."

"Thank you Misaki," they kissed again.

**A/N: Review please! **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Close Contact

That night, neither Yata nor Sheena got much sleep. The second they stepped out of the bathroom and Yata pushed her up against the wall, he kissed her then realized he forgot to close his bedroom door when Tatara walked by and gave him a thumbs up. That was embarrassing. Within minutes all of HOMRA knew of their relationship and were determined to get all the details.

Once Yata was finally able to get everyone away from his room, he slammed his door and locked it for the night. "Sorry about that," he awkwardly pushed his hair back.

"I think it's cute they all want to know."

"Annoying's more like it."

For part of the night they lounged on Yata's couch. She told him about the happier times in her life while he played with her hair. Once she began to drift in and out of sleep, Yata made the first move to the bed. She followed him groggily, but once they were actually under the covers, neither of them could sleep.

Sheena tried testing the waters a little by kissing his neck and collar bone, or reaching her hand under his shirt and feeling his muscles. At some point she pretended that she was too hot and removed all her clothing but her bra and underwear in a failed attempt to seduce him. When they both realized that actual sleep wasn't going to happen, he took Sheena in his arms and hovered over her, taking in all her beauty. He rubbed his thumb across her cheek and kissed her gently.

"When was the last time you were with someone, I mean, really with someone?"

She thought for a moment then replied, "middle school maybe. I don't remember much after my mother died and my step father pulled me out of school to…" she trailed off.

"You don't have to talk about it."

"You need to know. They could find me any day now. They might already have."

"I'm not leaving your side. You're safe with me."

Sheena propped herself up on her elbows to meet him lips. "They're powerful Misaki."

"And I have the power of the Red clan! So does everyone else here. We're not going to let anything happen to you."

"Thank you."

He met her lips and pressed her into the bed. The moment their tongues touched, his tattoo pulsated. He pulled away in surprise and sat back while he recovered from the slight pain on his chest.

"Are you okay?" she asked sitting up.

"Yeah fine," he breathed.

"You're tattoo is glowing." She reached up to touch it, but Yata shied away. "What is it?"

"N-nothing." He went back to kissing her. His was fine this time she made her way into his mouth. Then she lifted her hips to meet his and the insignia flared back to life. This time it didn't stop. "Ugh!" He fell backwards and pulled at the collar of his t-shirt in hope to find any relief from the stinging pain.

"Misaki!" she cried. "What's happening!?"

The marking glowed brighter and brighter until Yata was literally in tears. He screamed at the pain and scratched at its source. He was beginning to perspire at his hair line.

Sheena didn't know what to do. She grabbed his wrists and fought to keep him from clawing at the tattoo. "Kusanagi! Tatara!" She yelled. He screamed again, and the two she called for burst into the room.

"What happened!?" Kusanagi questioned as he pulled Yata from Sheena's grasp.

"I don't know! We were just kissing and…" she started to cry.

Tatara pulled her off the bed and sat her on the couch. "It's okay, we'll take care of this."

Anna entered the room next and sat with Sheena on the couch. She didn't say anything, she just held the hand of the distraught lover of her big brother.

Yata's screaming has ceased, but he still groaned and panted whenever anyone tried to touch his tattoo. Tatara re-entered the room with a cold washcloth and placed it over Yata's forehead. The insignia no longer pulsated. They all took that as a good sign.

"He's running a high fever," Kusanagi began. "How did this happen?"

"I-I…I don't know."

"You said you were just kissing?" asked Tatara.

She nodded. "He shied away at first, then he fell backwards and started screaming. His tattoo…it was glowing, and he was scratching at it, like that's what was hurting him."

"Likely it was."

"Is that normal?" whispered Tatara.

Kusanagi looked back at Yata, who was now asleep under the covers, still panting. "No…I don't suppose it is."

"Misaki's red is weird."

Sheena looked at Anna who stared at Yata through her red marble.

"He has a fever Anna, it'll be weird for a little while."

"No Tatara." She got up and left the room.

"I think he'll be okay now, call us in anything else happens, okay?"

She nodded to both boys as they too left the room. Sheena couldn't bring herself to move. All night she sat on that couch and watched her lover's sleeping form. She cried. She cried because she couldn't help him, because he was in pain and she only seemed to make it worse. She cried because he was going to do whatever possible to keep her safe and she didn't deserve that kindness. She cried because her father was hunting her, and even with the protection of HOMRA, she didn't feel safe. She cried because this wasn't the first time someone she loved couldn't touch her.

She didn't sleep at all. She didn't even close her eyes to attempt to. She finally tore her eyes away to look at the shaded window. There was a slight brightness coming from the top of the curtain. It was morning. She got off the couch and walked into the bathroom the look at herself in the mirror. Actually look at herself. With her real eyes. She could see the intricate, black markings that covered her entire body. The red glow of her eyes stopped when she heard a groan from the bedroom. She looked to find Misaki rolling over in bed to look at her.

"Did you even try to sleep?"

"I slept a little," she lied. She glanced back at the mirror, only to double check that she was no longer using her real eyes and couldn't see the marks. "Are you feeling better?"

"What do you mean?"

She stared at him. "Last night you…"

"What?"

"Nothing, you just said you didn't feel good. That's all."

"Oh. I don't remember." He got out of bed, "well I feel fine now."

She smiled. "Good."

He was about to lean down to kiss her, but they were interrupted by Masaomi throwing open the door. "Hey! Mikoto's back! Oh, nice underwear you two." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Get the fuck outta here!" Yata yelled throwing a shoe at the intruder who easily blocked it by closing the door. He looked back at the beauty who was only arms distance away from him. "Wanna go meet our King?"

**A/N: I bet you all thought I was never going to update again! Well, you were wrong. I haven't given up on this yet. Well I've finally decided on a time frame for this. Everything here is happening before the events of the first season, so Yata's 18. **

**Has everyone been watching season 2? It's so good! I think it's better than season 1 and I didn't think that was possible!**

**I'll say this now, I'm sorry in advanced for how little I'll probably be updating. If you think Junior year of high school is hard, my senior is already 10 times worse. I have hardly any time for anything, so please be patient! I haven't given up on this yet!**

**Don't forget to review! I love hearing from all my readers!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Spark

It was early for the bar to be this full of clan members, but their King had returned from his month long trip.

"Mikoto!" Anna squealed, enveloping her favorite person in a bear hug.

"I missed you Squirt."

"Such a pretty red," she sighed in content.

Everyone was busy saying their "hellos" and their "welcome backs" when the king realized that there was someone missing from the commotion and someone who shouldn't be there at all. Mikoto gently pushed Anna off of him. The rest of HOMRA ceased all their words as they watched their king part them like the Red Sea. He crossed the bar to the door that lead to the upstairs and waited for it to open. His aura flared to life.

"Yata," he spoke, "who's your friend?"

Closing the door slowly, his gaze met with the king.

"Welcome back Mr. Mikoto!"

"I'm not going to ask again, Yata." He glanced at the foreigner.

Sheena avoided the king's powerful gaze and glanced at Kusanagi and Tatara who were behind the bar. They both looked concerned. Her attention was brought back to her lover when he said, "This is Sheena."

He looked behind him, "This the girl in your letter Izumo?" Kusanagi nodded in response. "Hm. Pretty. Nice job Yata." He retreated back to the bar.

Yata grinned at the approval his king showed for his lady, then he remembered his mission. "Mikoto, she needs to join HOMRA." He chased after him while Sheena took a seat at the bar.

"How's he doing after last night?" Tatara asked, concern obvious in his tone.

"He doesn't remember anything. I asked him already."

"He doesn't remember at all?" Kusanagi put the class he was cleaning off to the side and leaned across the bar to join the whispered conversation.

"I asked him how he was feeling and he had no clue what I was talking about. I ended up improving and saying that he said he felt sick."

"Hm…strange."

On the other side of the room, Mikoto was seated on the couch with Anna curled up against him while Yata argued all the reasons that Sheena needed to be with them officially.

"Yata I've said this before, we don't take girls."

"Anna's a girl!"

"Let me clarify. We don't take _girlfriends_."

"Awe come on! She needs to be here, don't ask me why I know that, I just do! Can't you make an exception just this once!?"

"Stop whining. If I make this one exception, what's going to stop the rest of the clan from wanting their girlfriends here? In the summer, with Kamamoto alone, we'd have three new members a week."

"Well once he finally sticks with one girl she can join too!"

"Yata, you don't make the rules. Knock it off."

"Come on, please Mikoto! I'll do anything! Let her stay, please!"

"For the last time – Yata, what happened to your tattoo?"

"What?" he asked confused.

"Come here." Mikoto grabbed Yata's wrist and pulled him down so he could see inside his shirt.

"W-what are you doing?" Mikoto released his grip on the vanguard and waited for a reply. Out of curiosity Yata finally pulled the collar of his shirt down to get a better look at what the king was seeing. "That's weird. I must have scratched myself in my sleep or something." He brushed it off like it was nothing.

"Or something…" Mikoto pondered. "Sit down."

He hesitated, but eventually he took a seat on the coffee table behind him of which Mikoto then pulled the table closer, causing Yata to almost fall back. "What the hell, Man!"

"Pull down your collar."

"W-what?"

Sheena, Tatara and Kusanagi watched the scene in front of them with caution. Should they tell Yata what happened? Probably. Will they tell him? Probably not.

Yata did as he was asked. Mikoto then touched the marking with such gentleness. Yata flinched at the foreign sensation, then again at the burn the king left behind. "You didn't do this in your sleep."

"Okay. Then it happened when I fell off my board. Not a big deal."

"It looks like Fushimi's."

Yata shot up from his seat, "Are you accusing me of purposefully trying to remove my tattoo!? I would never do that! I would never betray you lie that damn monkey!"

"Sit down. I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm making an observation."

"Misaki's red is weird," Anna spoke quietly.

Mikoto nodded in agreement and Yata sat back down so the kind could finish his examination. "Did you lose control?" he wondered out loud.

"What do you mean?"

He glanced at the bar. "Sheena, come here."

She was unsure of what to do, so she looked to Kusanagi and Tatara for guidance. They nodded to her. She got off the bar stool and walked carefully across the room. She stopped at the coffee table behind Yata. Mikoto didn't look at her, he still carefully studied the swelled, red scratches that covered their symbol of pride.

"Sit down," he ordered.

She did as she was told and took a seat next to her lover. Mikoto didn't take his eyes away from Yata's chest. He watched carefully as her shoulder brushed his and in turn the tattoo flashed a deep shade of red.

Mikoto pulled his hand away from Yata, then held out his fire burning hand to her. Yata was surprised at the gesture, he thought for sure he'd have to spend the next week begging him to let her join. She stared at the fire that wrapped itself intricately around the king's hand.

"Take his hand," Yata encouraged.

She faltered, but took his hand anyways. She was surprised to feel that it didn't burn, instead she felt a loving warmth course through her body. Her hair stood on end, but it a good way. The left side of her chest began to sting as the complicated lines of the HOMRA marking appeared.

Yata smiled as he realized where her tattoo was appearing. If he held her, their markings would touch.

She took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of new power filling her completely. It was almost orgasmic. When the tattoo was finished forming, Mikoto released her hand, only to create a literal spark between their fingertips. It stunned them both momentarily, leaving Yata to wonder if she actually got burned, but that couldn't be possible if the tattoo had appeared.

"Welcome to HOMRA," Mikoto finished.

Everyone cheered. Yata took her hand and smiled at her. He then kissed her hard, enough for everyone to see how much he adored this girl. When he pulled away he realized that he had just kissed her in front of everyone he loved and immediately his cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment. She giggled and kissed his blushing cheek.

When Yata finally unattached from Sheena's hip, Mikoto took the chance to offer him words of advice. "You really like this girl Yata?"

He nodded. "Yeah Mikoto, I do."

"It'll be hard, but try to touch her as little as possible."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying keep the kissing to a minimum and try to keep it in your pants."

He was confused. "I'm not questioning your authority, but why?"

"I'm not sure yet. But it wasn't you that caused those scratches."

"Don't try to tell me that she did Mr. Mikoto."

"She didn't do it on purpose, that's for sure." He turned to rejoin Anna on the couch.

All Yata could do was question why Mikoto said what he had. It didn't make sense. Of course Sheena didn't try to rip his tattoo off of him, he'd remember something like that. He had to of caught himself on a branch or something while he was out riding, if he hadn't done it in his sleep. He smiled, watching Sheena interact with his clan members. She pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and his mark pulsated with the flutter of his heart. She flinched at the slight sting her tattoo had done in response, then turned to meet his gaze. She smiled in return and he raced across the room to join in her conversation with the others.

**A/N: Two updates in one day! Yay! Knowing me this will be what you get for a long time, again I'm so sorry! I wish I had time to update every day! Leave a review! **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Burning Flame

"Okay, now that you're officially a part of HOMRA, you gotta learn how to fight," Mikoto called from the other side of the illuminated soccer field.

"This is stupid," Yata mumbled under his breath, "Tatara doesn't fight. Why does Sheena have to?"

"You just don't want her to get hurt," replied Kusanagi.

The lieutenant was right. Yata didn't want anything bad to happen to his girlfriend. It wasn't like he didn't trust his king to teach her without hurting her too bad. He was concerned because he knew how brutal Mikoto was when he taught him and Fushimi how to fight strategically. They were both so sore they couldn't get out of bed for a week.

"Are you sure nobody's going to see us out here?" asked Kamamoto.

"We'll be fine. It's past midnight on a weekday. Any sane person is in bed."

"What about the insane?" Yata murmured, however, no one seemed to hear him.

"Okay, here's how this is going to work. Someone's going to come at you, and you're going to defend yourself to the best of your ability. For now, that's all we're going to do. Once you know how to defend, then we'll help you learn to attack."

Sheena nodded nervously to the red king. She glanced behind her to see Misaki gripping so hard to his skateboard that his knuckles had turned white.

"Relax Yata, she'll be fine," comforted Kusanagi.

"Easy for you to say. You probably like watching us all get hurt when he teaches us."

He laughed, "I think you're getting me confused with Tatara. He's the sadist."

"What the hell Izumo! No I'm not!"

"He's teasing idiot," Chitose ridiculed with a no longer like cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Are you ready to start Sheena?"

"Y-yeah, I'm ready," she yelled back to Mikoto.

"Don't be nervous. I'm not going to hurt you. Just rely on your instincts."

Before she got a chance to reply, Dewa and Eric were charging her with their fists blazing red. _Follow my instincts. _She closed her eyes and waited for their fists to smash into her face, but at the last second, her arm shot up and she blocked both of them. Her eyes shot open to see a red glow surrounding her, but she wasn't sure if it was her king's red, or her own.

"Good," Mikoto praised, "this time, don't close your eyes. You need to watch opponent at all times in order to predict their next move. Yata! Come here!"

"What?" he asked surprised, "why?"

"Just do it."

He stood from where he was seated under the goal post with Anna and Tatara, and crossed the boundary lines to midfield. He stopped next to Sheena and waiting for orders from his king. "Well?"

"Can you ride on the turf?"

"I can try." He dropped his board and placed his foot on the edge. He activated his red and glided smoothing to Mikoto. "What do you want me to do?" he asked coming to a stop in front of Mikoto.

"Attack her."

"Why?"

"Because you're our best fighter."

"I don't want to hurt her."

"You're not going to. She already knows how to fight."

"What are you talking about?"

He looked Yata directly in the eye. "She blocked that attack perfectly."

"So she relied on her instincts, just like you told her to do."

"Don't you remember when I taught you how to fight? You were a hyperactive fourteen year old basically living on the streets, and you already knew how to fight."

"Yeah..?"

"And you fell flat on your ass for the first week of training." Yata blushed at the embarrassing memory and looked away from the red king. "Attack her life you would an enemy."

"No way!" he yelled in retaliation. "She can't defend herself from that yet!"

"Just do what I ask, for once without arguing."

"I can't do what you're asking of me."

"Would you rather have me do it?"

"You'll kill her!" he whispered so Sheena wouldn't hear.

"Then we're in agreement. You'll attack her."

He couldn't argue anymore. Mikoto was right, it was better if he did it than the king with everything he had. "Fine, I'll do it."

Mikoto grinned, "I promise nothing is going to happen to her. Remember not to hold back." He placed his hand on Yata's shoulder to reassure him. Then he looked to Sheena and ordered, "This time I want you to fight back. Don't be afraid to hurt Yata, he'll be fine. Don't hold back."

She was taken a back slightly. She knew that there was no way she'd even be able to land a finger on him. So why did Mikoto want her and Misaki to fight? _It's a learning experience. _She told herself.

Anna ran across the field and handed Yata his bat. "I want to see her pretty red!" She told Yata.

"You'll see it," Yata replied, throwing his bat across his shoulders and surrounding himself with the aura of the red king.

"Anna ran behind Mikoto for protection and wrapped her small hands around the looseness of his jacket. In turn, he placed a hand gently atop her head. "Whenever you're ready, Yata."

He took off without a second thought, nor a warning to his girlfriend. Enemies in battle didn't say when they were going to attack one another, after all. He pulled his pat off his shoulders and wound it back, readying himself to swing.

Sheena looked around quickly for something other than her arms to block the attack. They were in the middle of a soccer field, obviously there was nothing for her to use. He was getting closer. She almost panicked when the bat extended Misaki's reach. She dived out of the way and rolled a good five feet. When the dust settled, she got back on her feet, but Yata was already coming after her. She stopped his fist by kicking her leg up to block, she then grabbed his arm that held the bat and attempted to wrestle it from his grasp. Easily, Yata was able free himself. He flipped off his board and pulled it back to him with his foot, then kicking it back at her as she ran at him. She slipped on the board and fell forward. Yata caught her but immediately threw her off of him and jumped back on the skateboard.

Yata wasn't sure why Mikoto insisted that he fight her, this seemed like very amateur fighting at the moment. If they kept going like this, eventually she was going to get hurt. Glancing behind Sheena as she caught her breath from the fall, Yata noticed a smirk across the king's face. Damn him, he was enjoying this, testing to see how far Yata would actually go. Sheena came after him again, this time blazing her red to life. He dodged her fiery fist easily, catching her by the waist and flipping her over his shoulder to the ground, knocking the wind from her lungs.

From the middle of the field, the rest of HOMRA watching the couple spar, waiting for any possible orders from their king. "He's holding back," Mikoto said, "Dewa, Eric, Bando, go help him out."

"A-are you sure about that sir?" asked Eric.

"Nobody's going to hurt her." But the three of them still hesitated.

"Mikoto…" started Tatara, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Neither do I," intervened Kusanagi.

"Just trust me."

Everyone looked to Anna, who only nodded a response.

"Go for it then," said Kusanagi, shrugging.

"They listen to you, but not me?"

"Sometimes you can't only trust the king, Mikoto."

Dewa, Eric and Bando rushed to the edge of the field where Sheena and Yata were currently tumbling over each other. Right away they threw their flaming fists Sheena's way.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Yata screamed at them.

"Sorry man, Mikoto's orders. You're still supposed to help out though," replied Eric.

"Fuck that! You idiots are going to kill her if we all go at her at once!"

"Yata I swear to God if you try to argue this again, you're benched for the next month!" Mikoto yelled for center field.

"And you're on cleaning duty at the bar!" Kusanagi added.

He sighed in defeat and got to his feet. If they were threatening to bench him for a month for refusing to fight his girlfriend, then he needed to trust that they were correct and nothing would actually happen to her. He took his place next the other three. They stood side by side, aura's burning. Sheena stood at least fifteen feet from them, considering if she should just give up and be like Tatara, or fight and leave the soccer stadium wounded and unconscious on Misaki's back. _No. _She needed to keep trying. Just last night, Misaki was going on and on about how awesome it would be when the two of them could be partners and go on patrol together and fight side by side. She was doing this for him. Her own aura sparked back to life, surrounding her in a deep red.

Anna came out from behind Mikoto and peered at the battle through her marble. She gasped and stumbled backwards into Tatara's arms.

"Anna, are you okay?" he asked, concern all over his face.

She covered her face in his chest and whispered, "It's all black."

Her words captured Mikoto's attention, "What is?"

"Her red! It's awful!"

"Mikoto, we need to stop this fight!"

"No Izumo, give them all a chance. They can do it."

"Mikoto, she's going to hurt them," Anna warned.

"Have faith."

"Is that all you can say Mikoto!?" Kusanagi yelled at his friend, "Anna is trembling, if she's this shaken up, this fight isn't going to end well!"

Mikoto said nothing.

"You're going to send Misaki home in a body bag," Anna forced out.

"Not the others?" Tatara asked.

Anna went back to watching the spar but said nothing to answer his question.

Yata led the assault, with the other three backing him up, easily. They moved like water, one would fake her out, while another finished the blow, while the other two got her from behind and did the same. Yata jumped off his skateboard, and landed on top of her, tackling her to the ground. She managed to throw him off and regain a fighting stance. Eric and Dewa managed to land a hit on her shoulder and throw her to the middle of the field, only a few feet from where their king stood. She ran at Bando, but the other three got her again. She couldn't move. She was pinned under four grown men. She began to hyperventilate. All the scenes from her past flashed across her eyes. Yata noticed her panic and started to make a move to help her out, but she screamed, and a great fire surrounded her body, burning the grass around her and the people on top of her.

"Shit!" Eric yelled, scrambling to his feet and away from the fire.

She screamed again, throwing Yata, Bando and Dewa from the pile and back to where Mikoto, Anna, Kusanagi, Tatara and the rest of the clan stood in watch.

"Gah!" Yata flinched at the new pain on his collar bone. Anna ran up to him and pulled him down to her level. "Anna, what's wrong?"

She grabbed his shirt and pulled it down to get a better look at the glowing mark. She looked back to Sheena, who was still surrounded by flames. Yata realized that what was going on in front of them was what was causing the little girl so much discomfort. He got down to his knees and grabbed Anna's shoulders, shaking her attention away from the flames and back to him. "It's okay, she's just defending herself."

"I don't think that's all that's going on…" Tatara began, wide eyed.

Their attention was taken from Anna and back to Sheena when she screamed again, this time grasping her head and rolling to her back. Nobody knew what to do, even Yata was frozen in his place. Then, as soon as the flames began, they stopped, along with Sheena's screaming.

When she didn't get up, Yata immediately assumed that something was wrong and ran to her.

"Misaki, no!" Anna yelled, but she couldn't catch him, he was already at Sheena's side.

"Sheena, are you okay!?" He hovered above her and waited for a response. Her eyes fluttered open, and instantly took to a seating position. He stared at her.

"That was awesome!" She cheered. "Did you see me? I did it! I took all of you out!"

He didn't know how to reply, so he just nodded.

"Oh my goodness, Misaki! This is going to be so much fun!" She jumped to her feet, pulling him up with her. She flew into his arms and in response he swung her around and celebrated with her.

"You were so awesome!" he smiled, "I can't believe you took us all out! I mean, I'm not surprised, because you're so badass and all…" he trailed off, not knowing what else to say as he still recovered from his shock.

"Well Mikoto, it looks like we've got some teams to rearrange."

"And you thought I was being reckless, Izumo."

Everyone ran out to Sheena and Yata to congratulate her for being the only one to win a fight on her first day of training. Anna stayed behind, watching the exchange from afar. She looked down at her hands, she was still trembling. Looking back up, she gasped. For a spilt second she could swear she saw a black snake wrap around Sheena's body, but as quickly as it was there, it was gone, leaving behind nothing but a scorched trail that only her eyes could see.

Mikoto looked back at the young girl and frowned. "Anna," he waved her over. Unable to refuse orders from her king, she approached with caution. He got down on one knee and put on hand atop her head. "Watch her carefully, okay?"

She could only nod. Her trembling had ceased.

**A/N: Anybody else feel empty now that ROK is over? I do! Don't forget to review! **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Take Down

For three months, HOMRA was unstoppable. They took down, drug lords, prostitution rings, tortured a few powerful CEO's, gave the Blue's a run for their money, all without causing too much damage to the city. Most of the Red's just got to sit back and relax while Yata and Sheena succeeded in every job they were given, eventually becoming one of the most feared duos in Japan. Almost every "bad guy" knew their names, and sat in a cloud of anxious panic, waiting for the day that the couple would come for them and take their business down.

All this success was a great ego boost for the vanguard, and a huge confidence boost for his beautiful partner. She no longer felt uncomfortable around the other members of HOMRA, she challenged them on almost everything they said, fought back and she even considered them family—enough so that they all knew of her past, and all of its horrible details. They all felt the same way about Sheena, and of course, wanted nothing more than to help keep her safe and take down the men that were after her.

They all noticed it. The watchful eyes from men on almost every corner. Even more so when Sheena was with them. She swore she didn't recognize any of them, but there was no question about their reasoning for watching the girls every move through Shizume City. Anytime anyone could get close enough to question one of the men, they'd lose sight of them, or something else would capture their attention. Their surveillance on Sheena was flawless, as was their countermeasures when they were caught by the Red's.

It was a cold day in late December when the two of them crashed through the entrance of the bar—mid argument. "Misaki, just trust me on this one! It's him, I know it!"

"I don't care, you're not going in alone!"

They tromped their way across the room to the bar, each pulling out a stool to sit on. "I'm ready for this!"

"That's not how we do things, you know that!"

"Just shut up and let me be right, for once!"

"No, you're being careless!"

"Both of you shut up!" Kusanagi reprimanded. He glared at the couple that sat in front of him and leaned across the bar. "These floors are shipped all the way from a castle in Ireland, and if they're ruined in anyway by the snow you both just tracked in, you're both dead." They gulped, and cautiously looked behind them at the trail they brought in with them. "Clean it up."

Sheena was the first to jump off her stool, but Yata followed swiftly. They both shed themselves of their winter attire and placed their snow boots on the entry rug. Sheena grabbed a mop from the closet behind the bar and Yata picked up the big chunks of snow that littered the floor to throw back outside, all while grumbling about how unfair this is.

"Stop acting like children. Now, what were you two arguing about?" Kusanagi asked while he placed two bowls of beef udon noodle soup on the bar for them.

"Sheena thinks she can take out a drug lord on her own."

"Not happening," Mikoto grumbled from the couch.

"I thought you were sleeping," Tatara laughed.

"Same goes to you."

Sheena finished cleaning up the water and propped the mop up against the wall to dry before putting it away. "And why can't I do this alone? I'm ready!"

"Doesn't matter what you, or anybody else for that matter, thinks about your readiness. Everything's done with a partner."

"Told you," Yata grumbled.

"Nobody asked you!" she yelled at him. He glared back at her.

"Stop arguing and eat," demanded HOMRA's lieutenant.

"Tell us about this drug lord you speak of," Tatara said, taking a seat next to Sheena at the bar.

"All we've been able to find out so far is that he's been taking refuge in the basement of that club downtown and that he's been taking prostitutes that go in to look for clients. The next week, their bodies show up in the same dumpster, miles away, just outside of the city. All of them were raped and had ketamine in their systems, but their cause of death was an overdose on some unknown drug. The autopsy reports we were able to get our hands on couldn't even tell us what it was."

Kusanagi lowered his voice and said, "Do you think maybe you're too close to this one? Maybe you should let somebody else handle it."

"No! It isn't him, or anybody that works for him. I know his M.O. This isn't what he does."

"Okay, then I say it's worth checking out. What do you think Mikoto?"

"Yeah, I agree. Especially if girls are dying. But nobody's going in alone. We'll all go."

"Why everyone?" asked Tatara.

"It's at a club right?"

Yata and Sheena both nodded and said, "The really popular one downtown," then laughed at their unison.

"So let's have some fun while we're there," shrugged the king.

"Hold on," interrupted Yata, "you're actually telling us to get dressed up, and go dancing while we're working?"

"Well the two of you are eighteen, so you won't be having too much fun, so don't get too excited."

"How are we even going to get in!? Sheena, Anna and I are all underage."

"Anna and Tatara can stay here. It's too late for them."

"Hey!" whined Tatara, "I understand Anna, but why me!?"

"Somebody's gotta stay with her. Regarding you two," he turned to the look at the couple, both of whom were in the middle of slurping up a noddle, "They'll let you in, they don't ID at the door. You just can't drink."

"Well obviously, Mr. Mikoto!"

"Yata, don't sass your king," scolded Kusanagi while hitting the vanguard on the head.

…

"Everyone's already inside, right?" Sheena asked taking Yata's hand.

"Yeah. Kusanagi and Mikoto went in to claim a few tables for surveillance a while ago."

"And everyone else?"

"Probably all grinding on some poor girl by now."

That made her laugh. "This'll be fun!"

Her heels clicked loudly against the floor as they entered into the dark building. The DJ was in the process of replacing a speaker that had blown, and the lights still flashed violently across the walls and floors, while music echoed throughout the room.

Yata scanned his surroundings, hoping to find at least Kusanagi and Mikoto. He spotted Chitose, Bando and Eric on the dance floor, _typical_. Across the room, at one of the tables, he saw Kusanagi with Seri Awashima of Scepter 4. _Why don't they just date already? _

"What it is?" she yelled in his ear so that he would hear her over the music.

"One of the blues are here."

"Fushimi?"

"No. Lieutenant Awashima."

"Is she the one that's always talking to Kusanagi at the bar with the blond hair?"

"That's the one."

"Can I take your coats?" asked a large man, coming up behind the couple.

"Oh, yeah, sure." Yata replied stripping himself and then Sheena of their winter wear. Under her coat Sheena wore a little black, strapless, extremely tight dress, a black choker necklace, and extremely high heels that made her almost taller than Yata. "You look pretty."

She blushed, "thanks. Tatara insisted on the studded bracelet for some reason," she looked to her wrist.

"It's a communication device, that's why. Just talk into it and hold it up to your ear to hear a response."

"Nifty."

"Are you two just going to stand there, or are you going to go dance?"

They jumped at the sudden intrusion of their conversation. "Dammit Chitose!"

"You scared us!"

"We're on a job, remember? Go do yours."

"And what the fuck are you doing!? Obviously not what you're supposed to!"

He held up his hands in surrender, "Calm down. I'm just going out to offer a cigarette to a pretty girl. She's a prostitute, I checked."

They watched him leave out the front entrance. "Hopefully he actually warns the chick instead of taking her home."

"He will," she assured. "Now come dance with me." Sheena dragged her boyfriend through the crowd and onto the dance floor where she immediately began to sway her hips back and forth.

"I can't do this," he muttered.

"You just gotta feel it. Here," she turned her back to him and placed his hands at her waist, "just sway."

He did as she instructed and slowly but surely got more comfortable. When they got a steady rhythm going between them, Sheena craned her neck back slightly and pulled Misaki down to her mouth where they shared a heated kiss. She turned back to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, without halting her grinding motion. He was the first swipe his tongue across her bottom lip, but she was the first to capture his with her own. They made out for the duration of the song that was playing, and once it was over, they wanted nothing more than to continue, but they had a job to do.

"See anything?" he asked pulling her closer to his body.

She looked behind him and scanned the crowd. "Maybe," she concluded, "there are a few girls at the bar that could be possible targets."

"Are you sure you'll be okay playing the part?"

"Yeah," she kissed him, "wouldn't be the first time."

He watched her push her way through the crowd and to the bar. He then retreated to the table Kusanagi was currently sitting at with Awashima, having a drink. He slipped into the booth and glared at the blue. "What's she doing here?"

"Yata, is that any way to treat a lady?"

He said nothing.

"She's just here to talk down any girl we may find in a bad situation," he replied taking a sip of his drink.

"Isn't that what Sheena's here for? She relates to them more than anybody else here."

"That's a big burden for a girl her age, Yatagarasu."

"Most of the girls here do this because it's their job, Yata. Sheena's one of the very unfortunate few that are forced into the job against their will."

"Yeah, but…yeah you're right."

"Where is she anyway? Did she find someone already?" asked Kusanagi, looking out into the crowd.

"There was a group of girls at the bar that looked the part. She was going to go check it out."

"Don't lose sight of her. Especially when she's alone on the dance floor."

"I know what I'm doing, blue."

"Also don't get jealous if you see her grinding up against another man," laughed Chitose as he slid into the booth next to Kusanagi.

"Shut up. How was the cigarette with the chick?"

"She refused my gift," he shrugged, "also ignored my warning that girls like her were ending up dead."

"Is that what the handprint on your face is from?" asked Shohei, pulling up a chair to the end of the table.

"She didn't appreciate being called a hooker."

"Idiot," muttered the reds lieutenant.

"Sheena's made her move," said Awashima, taking notice of the minor that was now on the dance floor, grinding against a girl in a hot pink, strapless dress, and excessively huge jewelry.

"Woah…" muttered Chitose and Shohei.

"Stop looking at her like that!" Yata yelled.

"Close your mouths…" Kusanagi ordered, "It's rude to stare at another man's girl.

"Yata's hardly a man!" laughed Shohei.

"Honestly. It's not like he's banged the girl yet."

"Guys," Awashima interrupted before Yata could get the chance to retaliate. "Look."

All their attentions returned to their female clansman. She was in the middle of swapping saliva with the girl in the pink dress, when a tall man in a button up and tie tapped her on the shoulder and whispered something in her ear. In response to the man, she let go of the other girl and turned her attention to the man. He placed a hand at her waist, and pulled her dangerously close.

"Don't forget to breathe, Yata."

"Shut up Chitose, I'm fine."

Sheena continued to grind against the man that had asked her to dance. She didn't really appreciate when his hands grasped tightly to her bottom, but she was undercover, and it wasn't anything she wasn't used to. The man tilted her chin up to get a better look at her face. "You're very beautiful," he yelled over the noise, "can I buy you a drink?"

"No, thank you," she politely declined, then lied, "I'm the designated driver tonight."

He nodded then forced her to face away from him. He then guided her backwards and continued to grind into her backside, while his hands roamed across her stomach and hips.

She was surprised when she turned back around to find a completely different man dancing with her. "Sorry," he said, "I had to cut in when I saw you, Briar Rose."

She couldn't breathe. She knew this man well. How had she not known that he had switched with the man that offered her that drink?

"I haven't seen you in a while. I was beginning to think that you were sold to another dealer. It's a shame that you changed your hair color, the red fit you so well."

She didn't know what to do. It was too late to run, and there was no way she could get word to any of her clansman without him noticing. She took a deep breath, "I took some time off."

"Four months' worth? I have a hard time believing that Mr. Hiragi would allow that. You're his most popular girl."

"I had a…internal problem," she lied, "and I had to leave the country to take care of it."

"Hm, that's completely different from what Hiragi told me," he pulled her roughly into his body, "you aren't lying to me, are you Rose?"

"No…" she forced out. He began to sway with her, much slower that the beat of the music permitted. He held her close, gently caressing her lower back and pressing her cheek into his chest. Her heart rate began to climb, and she could feel the panic begin to set in. "I'm not working tonight," she told him, hoping that it would get him away from her, at least long enough for her to locate one of the guys. She spotted Fujishima on the other side of the dance floor, they made eye contact and he immediately halted his dance with the stranger and ran towards one of the table HOMRA had claimed.

"All the better," he replied, "I'll pay you extra for your trouble then. I'm sure you could use the money to pay off the procedure you had to leave the country for."

He was mocking her. He grabbed her chin and kissed her hard. She shivered at the all too familiar touch. This was the man she and nightmares about, the one that caused her to wake of screaming in the middle of the night. The one Misaki swore to her that if he ever met, he'd kill him.

"I can't wait to relive the love we share, again," he whispered in her ear.

"No," she pleaded, "not tonight."

"You know I can't honor that request, I've missed you're touch way too much, Rose." She felt his hand leave her hair and move to his coat pocket. She knew what was coming next. He always liked her drowsy.

"Excuse me sir, but I don't think that kind of activity is condoned here."

She backed up as fast as she could, the moment she heard Kusanagi's voice.

"I got you," Yata said, wrapping his arms around her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded slowly, still recovering from the shock of seeing her most common ex-client. "Misaki, that's him…that's the one that…"

"What?" She could feel the anger radiate from her boyfriend, his red aura engulfing him and surrounding her in protection.

"Not here," said Mikoto coming up behind them and placing a hand on the vanguards shoulder.

"Miss Awashima, would you mind taking Sheena back to the bar?"

"Not at all, Red King." She placed a gently and on Sheena's shoulder and guided her out of the building to where her car was parked a block over. She put Sheena in the back seat and handed her the coat she came in with. Awashima then climbed into the driver's seat of her car and turned on the engine and the heat. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," she sniffed, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"Yatagarasu will be out in a moment."

Back in the club, every member of the clan was fuming with anger, especially Yata. It was taking every ounce of power he had to restrain himself of killing the man right there on the dance floor.

"Cool it," warned the King.

"Yata, go to Sheena," said Kusanagi, "We can handle this."

"We'll meet you back at the bar," Kamamoto promised, "and you can have the first swing at this guy."

He ran out of the club and down the street to Awashima's parked car. He pulled open the passenger door and climbed in next to Sheena. Awashima immediately put her car in drive and turned the corner that took them to Bar HOMRA.

"What did you do to him?" she whispered.

"Mikoto's handling it." He didn't want to scare her even more by telling her that they were knocking him out and taking him back to the bar with them.

Her response, "Don't hurt him."

That terrified him.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Syringe

By the time Yata and Sheena arrived back at the bar, she had calmed down a bit. He guided Sheena up the stairs and down the hall to their bedroom. He didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to explain. Yata stared at the floor while he contemplated what to do. He didn't want Sheena to know that the rest of the clan was on their way back to the bar, with that horrible man in tow. He sighed, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Slowly, she shook her head. From where he stood behind her, he could see how much she still shook. He reached out to her, but retracted when he remembered why she shook so badly. That man had done horrible things to her, and even with what Sheena had told him, she didn't tell him everything.

Finally, Yata decided that no matter how shaken she was from her earlier encounter, she needed him right now. So, he approached her cautiously, taking her hand before trying anything else. In response, she fell into his embrace and began to sob. He helped her out of her fancy clothes and into one of his t-shirts, then continued to hold her against his body. Her body shook with each cry. The louder she got, the tighter he held her. They stood in the middle of the bedroom for what seemed like hours, until she finally tired herself out enough for Yata to guide her to the bed.

After tucking her in and handing her a rag to wipe her make-up and tear stained cheeks, he shut off the lights and climbed in next to her. Immediately, she pressed herself up against him and he wrapped his arms around her. Her crying had ceased, but her shivering had not. Gently, he caressed her cheek and repeatedly pushed her long hair out of her face. Her red hair was beginning to peak through her roots. He wiped a stray tear from her cheek and kissed her forehead. She was asleep, finally.

Carefully, he climbed out of bed and tiptoed to the door. He grabbed his board and baseball bat and successfully made it out of the room without waking her and in the hall, Anna was waiting for him.

"He's in the basement," she whispered.

He nodded a response and together they took the stairs down to the bar. After crossing through the kitchen and to the back door, they stomped down the old, rickety staircase to the basement. In the middle of the room, the rest of the clan members surrounded the man, who was chained to an old, wooden chair.

"How is she?" asked Kusanagi.

"She's asleep now, but she was really shaken up."

There was a groan that came from the man in the chair and the reds all ceased any conversation they may have been having while they waited for him to come to. "Where am I?" he croaked.

Mikoto crouched down to his level and blew a mouth full of cigarette smoke in the man's face. "You're with HOMRA."

Immediately, he snapped his head upward to take a better look at the king. "H-how?"

"You see, we heard from some reliable sources that you've been heavily involved in a case we've been working on. Now we find out you've also been hunting one of our own for four months."

"Rose isn't one of you."

"She is," said Kusanagi, "the Slate's deemed her worthy of being the Red King's vesicle."

"Yata," whispered Kamamoto, "why does he keep calling her 'Rose'?"

"It's the name she went by when she was working for her father's…" he paused to think of the right word, "business."

"Try not to say her real name. We don't want him or anyone else to know her true identity in case they're searching for her using the Briar Rose alias." Tatara told the two.

They nodded in agreement.

"Where is she? I know she's here somewhere, I can sense her presence."

"She has nothing to do with this. Right now, you need to focus on me," ordered the king. "You need to answer all of our questions, truthfully, we'll know if you're lying," he glanced at Anna. "If she catches you in a lie, there's no telling what the guys in this room will do to you. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"What do we call you?" asked Kusanagi.

He contemplated his options for a moment, sighed, and then responded, "My name is Akiyama Hiro."

"And what is your business in the basement of the club downtown? Why are girls going in looking for work, and coming out dead?"

"They were failures."

"What does that mean?"

"Ask her." He looked past the members and to the door, where Sheena stood.

Yata ran to her and tried to push her out of the room, but she wouldn't budge. "Come on, let's go back to bed."

"No," she replied. "I need to know why he chose me."

"Sheena," he whispered so Akiyama wouldn't hear her real name. "Please go back up to bed and let the rest of us handle this."

"I'm not doing that." She pushed past him and stopped only a foot from where Akiyama was chained to the chair.

"You're looking stunning as ever, my beautiful Rose. I remember when it was my t-shirt you wore to bed."

"Eyes up here," she ordered.

"How have you been feeling lately? You must be close to your limit."

"What is she talking about?" Chitose asked.

"I have no idea," responded the vanguard.

"I haven't slept an entire night in weeks," Sheena answered.

"I figured at much. I have it with me, all you have to do is unchain me, and make sure your bodyguards here don't harm me, and let me go."

"That's not happening, not until you tell me why me and not the others."

"That's easy. I loved you Rose, that's why. It was a great risk, considering that you were one of the firsts, but you were strong. Your father and I knew you could handle the injections, and we were right. So far, you've been the only one to survive."

She couldn't tell who, but one of the guys began to approach her side. She turned fast, waving her arm behind her and creating a barrier between herself and HOMRA. "Don't get involved."

"What the hell are you doing!?" Yata yelled at her, while pounding on the wall of the barrier.

"We can't go through," said Anna.

"This isn't the power of the Slates…" Mikoto's voice shook as he examined the wall they were all trapped behind.

"How's that possible?" Yata panicked.

"She…her powers are far greater than anything I've ever seen."

"What do you mean? Are you saying that she's had her own powers this whole time?" Tatara questioned.

"I think so. Yata, when you fought her, she burned you, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"But the red kings' power doesn't burn its vesicles."

"You're exactly right, Izumo."

"She's artificial." Anna answered, peering through her marble at Sheena.

They were all speechless.

"How long do I have?" Sheena asked her ex-lover.

"A few days, but that's only if you don't get the next injection. I can tell, you're struggling to hold yourself back. Now, let me go, and I'll give you the next dosage. Your life depends on it."

She turned to HOMRA, "I'm sorry Misaki." She was crying. Turning back to face Akiyama, she took hold of the chains holding him captive and instantly, they incinerated. The moment he was free, he pounced on her, slamming her into the floor. He took hold of her oversized t-shirt and pulled it up over her head and tossed it to the side. She was exposed for everyone to see.

Tatara took hold of Anna, spun her around and held her in place, against his chest, "don't watch."

Yata continuously slammed into the barrier with his shoulder, kicking it, attacking it with his board, or his baseball bat, anything to get through. He screamed, "Don't you fucking touch her!"

Akiyama ran his hand gently across Sheena's body. Everywhere he touched, black markings followed. He kissed her hard, she kissed back, but she was in a great amount of pain. The markings began to show on her face, her eyes glowed red, with every passing moment. She could hear Misaki yelling for her to stop from behind his barrier. But she couldn't, if she didn't do this, she'd die.

Akiyama had his face buried in the crook of Sheena's neck, continuously sucking, leaving behind ugly, little love bites. Her breath caught in her throat more and more the further south he went with his lips. He was grasping her hips so hard that she could already feel the bruises forming. He kissed her collar bone and travelled down to her breasts, giving each a kiss and taking her nipple into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around the soft piece of flesh until she cried out in pain.

He brought his head up, to kiss her on the mouth again. "Please," she begged, "I need it."

"Yes, you do, but not yet my love." He kissed her again, forcing his way into her mouth to battle with her own warm, wet organ. His fingers hooked around the elastic of her white, lacy panties. He slowly pulled them down her flawless, pale legs and discarded them the same way he threw her shirt. Akiyama hooked those beautiful legs over his shoulders and took in her scent. He kissed her mound, then trailed his tongue over her folds. He latched onto her clit and repeatedly abused it with his tongue, sucking and biting at her most sensitive area.

She couldn't breathe. "M-more," she moaned.

Yata heard her begging, and he felt his heart shatter into a million tiny pieces. He stopped attacking the barrier. He backed himself into the stone wall of the basement and slid down. He pulled his knees up to his chest and put his hands over his ears. He didn't want to hear anymore.

Mikoto, Kusanagi and the rest of HOMRA didn't know what to do. None of them could get through the barrier Sheena had created to keep them away. Neither of them even knew what was going on. She kept begging for something only Akiyama could give her, they all knew that his mouth on her core was not what she was referring to.

"Please, no more…just give it to me," she forced out between moans.

He looked up from his position to look Sheena in the eyes. "You remember why this is necessary, correct?"

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. He sat back on his knees and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a syringe filled with a fluid so red it was almost black. He put the syringe in his mouth and pulled the cover off of the needle. Akiyama unzipped his pants and pulled them down just enough to reveal himself to her. He forced himself into her heat and immediately began thrusting in and out of her. He hoisted her up on his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. He paused his movements momentarily to grasp her long hair, and rest her forehead on his shoulder to reveal her jugular vein. He took the syringe from his mouth and quickly stabbed it into the exposed vein, injecting her with the liquid.

Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed backwards onto the floor. He caught her before her head could hit the ground. He held the side of her neck that hadn't been punctured by the needle and felt for her heartbeat. It was gone, then all of a sudden back, racing so hard that a doctor would think that her blood was boiling. On some level, it was.

HOMRA watched the scene play in front of them. Yata was sure that Akiyama was killing her, and there was nothing he could do but cry.

Akiyama began to plunge in and out of her once again, waiting for her to respond to the stimulation. Her eyes snapped open and she screamed. The black marks appeared on Sheena's body again, this time they release a black smoke. She attempted to claw the liquid out of her body, anything to stop the pain. Akiyama forced her hands above her head, and he continued to make love to her. "Rose, focus!" he screamed at her.

His voice snapped her out of the reality she was facing while her body fought off the drug in her system. She honed her focus back to the pleasure Akiyama was giving her and she relaxed into the cold floor. "H-harder," she gasped.

He obliged until she was screaming his name in orgasmic euphoria and he too reached his peak. She fell back into the floor, this time he didn't catch her fall. He zipped up his pants, grabbed the forgotten syringe, and turned for the exit.

She struggled to catch her breath. She could hardly move. She managed to roll herself onto her side and take down the barrier before passing out completely. Kusanagi and Tatara were the first to run to her, "Someone, go get a blanket," the lieutenant ordered.

Kamamoto, Chitose and Eric all ran up the stairs to find anything that could help their comrade. Once they returned to the basement, Kusanagi wrapped Sheena in the blanket and picked up her limp body, carefully.

Yata was completely frozen, he couldn't even take himself off the floor to go to her. He just watched the girl he loved with all his heart, willingly fuck a man that had done horrible things to her, right in front of him and all their friends.

Kusanagi carried Sheena up the stairs to the bar and barked orders at the other members. Anna and Tatara went to Yata, where the young girl extended her hand to him. "Please come upstairs with us, Misaki."

He looked up to meet her eyes. "I want to be alone."

"Yata, please," Tatara begged, getting down to his level on the floor. "Sheena needs you right now."

He mentally fought with himself over what he should do. What was right? Or what his anger was telling him to do? The look in both Tatara and Anna's eyes told him not to go with the latter. He got to his feet, and dragged himself up the stairs behind his two friends.

In the bar, HOMRA was surrounding Sheena, who was still unconscious on the couch. They parted to allow the vanguard in. Yata stared at her. Black marks still littered her body from head to toe. He reached out to touch her face, but Mikoto stopped him.

"Don't touch her," he recommended, then looked to Kusanagi, whose sleeves were singed black, "those marks on her burn."

"I have to…I have to know that she's still alive."

"She's breathing, don't worry about that," answered the bar owner.

Nobody moved after that. They all just stared at her. Even when the sun came up, not one person left Sheena's side that entire night.

**A/N: Please review! I'm extremely proud of how this chapter turned out! **


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